1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine for conveying and moving into position tubes, in particular straws.
The invention also relates to a machine for distributing, filling, sealing and printing tubes such as straws.
2. Description of Related Art
To make the following description easier to understand, the invention will be described with reference to straws like those intended for artificial insemination of bovine species, but it must be understood that its scope is not under any circumstances to be understood as restricted to a machine for straws.
A straw is a narrow circular section tube for the conservation of small quantities of substances, especially biological substances, in particular biological liquids.
A straw with a tripartite plug consisting of two pads of a fibrous substance enclosing a powder capable of being transformed in contact with a liquid into an impermeable gel or paste adhering to the wall of the tube, creating a tight stopper, known as a xe2x80x9cFrench strawxe2x80x9d, was disclosed for the first time in the applicant""s French patent No 995 878.
The applicant has also developed other straws with a non-absorbent plug.
The applicant""s FR-A-2 762 210 describes a straw consisting of a segment of tube fitted inside one end with closure means consisting of a hydrophobic microporous one-piece plug. The applicant""s FR-A-2 771 284 and FR-A-2 771 285 respectively describe a straw with an adapter insert and a straw with a bipartite plug.
A straw is generally filled by aspiration through the plug using a vacuum pump. The straw is closed off by sealing the end opposite the plug.
The straws must be distributed and transferred before being filled, sealed and printed.
There are machines for automating the above operations.
One type of machine is designed around a rotary barrel and a fixed hopper with a straw transfer ramp. The barrel is reciprocated to enable straws to be placed in the peripheral grooves.
The drawback of the above machine is a relatively low throughput and the straws are not always distributed correctly therein.
Another type of machine is designed around a rotary barrel and an oscillatory hopper. The hopper oscillates when the machine is stopped to place straws in the peripheral grooves of the barrel. The drawback of this machine is that it is complex and the straws are not always distributed correctly in it.
Machines which use a pneumatic drive system have the drawback of requiring a compressor in the place of use. Also, the use of compressed air in places where dust is controlled is inconvenient.
The applicant has designed a machine, which is still in use, based on a fixed hopper with an untangling roller and a mechanical indexing system for loading the straws three by three into the grooves of conveyor belts which convey them to filling and welding stations.
The machine is very reliable and has the advantage of offering up the straws to the filling and welding stations in a horizontal plane. However, it has the drawback of being complex and noisy.
Furthermore, the aforementioned machines are not very ergonomic for the user.
An object of the present invention is to provide a machine that does not have the drawbacks of the prior art machines used until now, and in particular which is simple and quiet.
Another object of the invention is to provide a machine that is ergonomic for the user.
The above objects, along with others that will become apparent on reading the following description, are satisfied by the machine in accordance with the invention which is adapted to enable automation of distribution and transfer operations, i.e. of conveying and moving into position tubes, especially straws.
The present invention therefore provides a machine for conveying and moving into position tubes, the machine including a chute with a vertical feed station for said tubes, conveyor belts and a motor for moving said conveyor belts, characterized in that said conveyor belts have two areas, namely an area for loading said tubes and an area for positioning said tubes, and a longitudinal recess co-operating with pressing means for inserting said tubes into said positioning area during longitudinal movement of said belts under said chute. The pressing means consist of an inclined pressing member, for example.
In one advantageous embodiment of the invention the conveyor belts have a shape enabling association of a loading vee, a circular section groove and a longitudinal recess.
The machine according to the invention advantageously further includes a vacuum pump for filling the tubes and a welding station for welding the tubes. Integrating the filling vacuum pump into the machine reduces noise and also simplifies the electrical wiring and pneumatic connections.
The machine can also include an indexing member between the motor and the conveyor belts to assure the stationary and moving phases of said conveyor belts, for example a cam-type indexing member.
One particularly beneficial embodiment of the machine according to the invention further includes a printing distributor, for example an inkjet printing head, for printing the tubes.
The invention will now be described in more detail, but in a non-limiting fashion, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: